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1 Emva kwezi zinto, bakudamba ubushushu bokumkani uAhaswerosi, wamkhumbula uVashti, noko abekwenzile, noko bekugqitywe ngaye.2 Athi amadodana akwakumkani abelungiselela kuye, Ukumkani makafunelwe iintombi eziseziintombi, ezimbonakalo intle.3 Ukumkani makayalele abaphathi emazweni onke obukumkani bakhe, bahlanganise zonke iintombi eziseziintombi, ezimbonakalo intle, bazizise eShushan komkhulu, endlwini yabafazi, phantsi kwesandla sikaHegayi, ithenwa lokumkani, umgcini wabafazi, zinikwe izinto zokuthambisa.4 Ize ithi intombi ethe yalunga emehlweni okumkani, ibe ngukumkanikazi esikhundleni sikaVashti. Lalunga elo lizwi emehlweni okumkani; wenjenjalo ke.5 Kwakukho ke eShushan komkhulu indoda engumYuda, egama linguMordekayi, unyana kaYahire, unyana kaShimehi, unyana kaKishe, indoda engumBhenjamin;6 eyayithinjiwe eYerusalem nabathinjwa, ababethinjwe noYekoniya ukumkani wakwaYuda, owathinjwa nguNebhukadenetsare, ukumkani waseBhabheli.7 Yaye ingumondli kaHadasa (nguEstere ke lowo), intombi kayisekazi; ngokuba ebengenayise nanina. Intombi leyo yayimile kakuhle, intle nasebusweni. Emva kokufa kukayise nonina, uMordekayi wayithabatha yaba yintombi yakhe.8 Kwathi ekuvakaleni kwelizwi lokumkani nomthetho wakhe, ekuhlanganisweni kweentombi ezininzi eShushan komkhulu, phantsi kwesandla sika Hegayi, wasiwa noEstere endlwini yokumkani, phantsi kwesandla sikaHegayi, umgcini wabafazi.9 Yamkholisa intombi leyo, wayenzela ububele, wakhawuleza, wayinika izinto zayo zokuthambisa, nezabelo zayo, wayinika neentombi ezisixhenxe ezihleliweyo, ezivela endlwini yokumkani; wayibeka yona nomthinjana wayo kweyona ndawo intle kwindlu yabafazi.10 UEstere ubengabaxelanga abantu bakowabo nemizalwane yakhe; kuba uMordekayi wayemwisele umthetho wokuba angabaxeli.11 UMordekayi waye mana ukuhamba imihla ngemihla yonke phambi kwentendelezo yendlu yabafazi, ukuba akwazi ukuphila kukaEstere, nokwenziwayo kuye.12 Ke kaloku ekufikeni kwexesha lentombi ngentombi lokuya kukumkani uAhaswerosi, ekupheleni kokwenziwa kwesiko labafazi iinyanga ezilishumi elinambini (kuba bekunjalo ukuzaliseka kwemihla yokuthanjiswa kwazo; iinyanga ezintandathu bekusenziwa ngeoli yemore, ezinye iinyanga ezintandathu ngobulawu nangeento zokuthambisa abafazi),13 ngelo xesha ke ibe isithi intombi ukuya kukumkani, kuthi konke ebikunqwenela ikunikwe, ihambe nako, iphuma endlwini yabafazi ukuya endlwini yokumkani.14 Ibisakuya ngokuhlwa, ngengomso ibuyele kweyesibini indlu yabafazi, ephantsi kogcino lukaShahashgazi, ithenwa lokumkani, umgcini wamashweshwe. Ibingabi saya kukumkani, engayinanzanga ukumkani, ayibize ngegama.15 Ekufikeni kwexesha likaEstere, intombi ka-Abhihayili, uyisekazi kaMordekayi, obeyithabathe ukuba ibe yintombi yakhe, lokuba aye kukumkani, akafunanga nto ingaxelwanga nguHegayi ithenwa lokumkani, umgcini wabafazi. UEstere wababalwa ngabo bonke abambonayo.16 Wasiwa ke uEstere kukumkani uAhaswerosi, endlwini yakhe yobukumkani, ngenyanga yeshumi (leyo yinyanga enguTebhete), ngomnyaka wesixhenxe wobukumkani bakhe.17 Ukumkani wamthanda uEstere ngaphezu kwabafazi bonke; wambabala, wamenzela inceba ngaphezu kweentombi zonke; unkontsho lobukumkanikazi walubeka entlokweni yakhe, wamenza ukumkanikazi esikhundleni sikaVashti.18 Ukumkani wabenzela isidlo esikhulu abathetheli bakhe nabakhonzi bakhe, isidlo sikaEstere; wawaphumza amazwe, wapha izipho ngokwamandla okumkani.19 Ke kaloku ekuhlanganisweni kweentombi okwesibini, ubehleli uMordekayi esangweni lokumkani.20 UEstere ubengayixelanga imizalwane yakhe nabantu bakowabo, njengoko uMordekayi wayemmisele; ngokuba ilizwi likaMordekayi ubelenza uEstere, njengokuba wayesondliwa nguye.

21 Ngaloo mihla kwathi, uMordekayi ehleli esangweni lokumkani, baba noburhalarhume uBhigetan noTereshe, amathenwa amabini okumkani, abagcini bomnyango, bafuna ukumsa izandla ukumkani uAhaswerosi.22 Yaziwa loo nto nguMordekayi, waxelela uEstere ukumkanikazi; uEstere waxelela ukumkani egameni likaMordekayi.23 Yancinwa loo nto, yafunyanwa; baxhonywa bobabini emthini. Yabhalwa loo nto encwadini yemicimbi yemihla phambi kokumkani.